YouTuber Aun Ali Khosa, who was reportedly abducted on August 15, has returned home safely, according to his lawyers.
The Lahore High Court (LHC) had directed the Lahore police to locate and recover Khosa by August 20. His wife, Binish Iqbal, had filed a petition claiming that her husband was being held unlawfully by law enforcement authorities. She expressed grave concerns for his safety, fearing that he might have been a victim of enforced disappearance.
The petition highlighted that Aun Ali is a artist, digital content creator, writer, and comedian with a following of 137,000 subscribers on YT. It detailed how, in the early hours of August 15, a group of police officers and masked men in plain clothes forcibly entered their apartment, confiscating Aun’s phone, laptop, computer, and camera.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed alarm over Khosa’s alleged abduction, particularly in relation to his work as a satirist, and called for his immediate recovery.
Shortly after midnight on Monday, Khosa’s lawyer, Khadija Siddiqi, announced his safe return on social media, expressing gratitude for his release. Another lawyer, Mian Ali Ashfaq, confirmed the news and stated that Khosa is safe, courageous, and determined. Ashfaq also thanked Siddiqi for her support and representation.
Siddiqi later commented on the pattern of abductions in recent months, describing how victims are taken from their homes in the middle of the night by masked, armed men who confiscate personal devices and remove CCTV footage. She expressed hope that this disturbing trend would end and emphasized the importance of legal due process, urging that any accusations should be addressed in court.
